Fresh off their Election Day tidal wave, and energized by it, Republican members of the House Natural Resources Committee are planning big changes for public lands in the West, changes that could greatly impact national parks.

Is there any purer method of landscape painting than plein air? If there's any doubt, visit Zion National Park this week to watch some of the best landscape artists at work in the 2nd annual "In the Footsteps Of Thomas Moran" contest.

While mandatory shuttle bus service into Zion Canyon at Zion National Park ended at the end of October, the popular shuttles will continue on an optional basis Saturdays and Sundays through the end of November.

It was back in March 2009 that portions of the Virgin River in and around Zion National Park were designated as "wild and scenic." In light of that designation, park officials are beginning work on a management plan for those sections.

During their visit to Zion National Park this summer, Jon Merryman and his son decided to clean up their campsite, No. 7 in the South Campground, before leaving the park. The accompanying photo shows what they gathered up.

It can be amazing how much garbage folks drop, unintentionally or otherwise, during camping trips to the national parks. The accompanying photo shows a collection of items long-time Traveler reader Jon Merryman and his son collected from their campsite in Zion National Park. How many can you identify?

A previously announced closure of the popular Angels Landing Route in Zion National Park has been extended due to weather delays. Closures for route repairs and improvements were originally scheduled to end Thursday, October 14, but little work was completed the week of October 3 due to heavy rain and lightning.

In the city, "don't jump from the subway" is good advice, but in Zion National Park, the caution is don't jump in the Subway. A hiker made an ill-advised leap in a remote location known as the Subway Route, and the resulting injury led to an unplanned night in the boonies and a rescue.

A schedule change revolving around the upcoming rehabilitation work on the trail leading to Angels Landing in Zion National Park means the trail will only be closed for one day this week, not two as originally planned, according to park officials.

If you've got time to squeeze in a fall visit to a national park, here's some good news: There's quite a bit of lodging available in places such as Crater Lake, Yellowstone, Zion, Grand Canyon, and Death Valley national parks.

Angels Landing, one of the most sought-out destinations in Zion National Park, will be temporarily closed later this month so route improvements can be made along the occasionally harrowing route to the top of the landing.

The New York Times got a lot of mileage with its story this week about technology leading visitors into harm's way in national parks, but that's really not the case, is it? Wouldn't it be more correct to say people lead themselves into harm's way more often than not?

Long a bone of contention between state, local and federal authorities when it comes to public lands access is a nearly 150-year-old law initially passed to help advance westward expansion. Now Interior Secretary Ken Salazar hopes a pilot program in Utah can generate a solution to R.S. 2477 controversies.

A 17-year-old Boy Scout on a four-day backpacking trip to Zion National Park with fellow scouts somehow became separated from his group on the second day and was later found dead, according to park officials.

For more than a few folks, staying in a cabin during a visit to one of the West's national parks is a highlight of their visit. For those who land a reservation in one of the cabins in Zion National Park, their stay will be a bit like stepping into the past thanks to recent renovations.

Not only will the upcoming road work in Zion National Park make it tough for travelers using the east entrance to Zion, but it also will result in restricted access to some technical canyoneering routes.

If you're visiting Zion National Park this year, well, enjoy the traffic. From mid-May into October there will be road work along the corridor into and out of the park's east entrance. And that means doing the "Utah two-step" from Zion to Bryce Canyon National Park or vice versa could be very trying.

If you're heading to Zion National Park in the coming days, know that you won't be able to drive your car into Zion Canyon unless you have a reservation at the lodge. As of Thursday the Zion Shuttle swings back into action to ease the congestion in the scenic canyon.